Summer’s come to an end but it doesn’t mean all the fun has to be over yet! This September and October are packed full of events with something to suit everyone. So if you’re looking for something to do and places to visit, look no further –we’ve done all the hard work for you!
24th September – 4th October – The Kite Runner @ The REP, 7:30pm
This haunting tale of friendship spans cultures and continents and follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international bestselling novel and film, this powerful and dramatic story leaves a lasting impression on anyone it touches.
Tickets: £12.50 – £35.00
24th – 25th September – MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival @ Sheffield City Hall
See success stories and business wisdom brought to you by some of the most inspirational entrepreneurs including:Levi Roots (Reggae Reggae Sauce), Michelle Mone OBE (Ultimo), Jamal Edwards (SB.TV), Doug Richard (Dragon’s Den), Shaa Wasmund (Smarta),Rekha Mehr (Pistachio Rose) and Wayne Hemingway MBE (Red or Dead)
Tickets: £24 – £48
24th September – 9th November - Yinka Shonibare @ Ikon Gallery, 11am-6pm
Yinka Shonibare’s exhibition at Ikon in 1999 was seminal. We now show Five Under Garments and Much More (1995), an early suspended installation that prefigures the artist’s mannequin works with dramatically enlarged proportions and exuberant African textiles.
Admission: Free
25th September
Hot 500 Networking Event (last Thursday of every month) @ BPP, 6:30pm
From access to finance, peer to peer masterminding, entrepreneur mentoring, personalised training, motivational talks and more.
Admission: Free (for 16-24 year-olds)
Manifest: The Edition (last Thursday of every month) @ Starbucks Lloyds, Colmore Row, Bham, 7pm
Faith meets art in this unique, incredibly out-of-the-box poetry and music night.
Admission: Free
Meet Bestselling Author Sue Monk Kidd @ The Library of Birmingham, 7pm
Sue Monk Kidd is the award-winning and bestselling author of the novels The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair. She is also the author of several acclaimed memoirs, including the New York Times bestseller Travelling with Pomegranates, written with her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor.
Tickets: £5.00
26th September – Asian Fashion Hour Live @ The Space, 7pm
Find out about the latest trends and ideas in south Asian fashion and business, from online marketing, the magazine industry and social media and content. Speakers include journalist and designer Noreen Khan, renowned Hair and Make Up Artist Ravita Pannu and menswear designer Julien Trivedi.
Tickets: £10.00
26th – 28th September – Little Miss Creative Discovery Retreat
An amazing opportunity for self-discovery and growth in a fun filled environment. We are working alongside BAYC to bring this fantastic opportunity for 12-16 year old girls. During the weekend the girls will enjoy challenging and fun physical activities designed to help them in their journey to unleash their personal potential. The weekend will be hosted by Pioneer Activity Centre in Worcestershire. There will be activities such as: Zip-wire, Rock climbing, Orienteering, Night Walks and Fire Party.
27th September
Family History Workshops @ The Library of Birmingham, 10am-1pm / 2pm – 5pm
Want to trace your family history? Join professional genealogist, Liz Palmer, for a series of Family History Workshops.
Tickets: from £15.00
Power in Poetry Black History Tour 2014 @ The Drum, 7:30pm
Designed to motivate and inspire, Power in Poetry provides a platform for young artists to use their words, imagination, and talent to take audiences on an amazing journey.
Tickets: £8.00 – £10.00
28th-29th September – Ms. Lauryn Hill @ London Brooklyn Bowl, 7pm
The American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, academician, and actress established herself in the music world as the lone female member of The Fugees, whose record sales would make them the second biggest selling R&B act worldwide since Michael Jackson.
Tickets: £61.00 (18+ only)
29th September – Business Enterprise Club (every Monday) @ The Library of Birmingham, 10am-2pm
Thinking of starting a business? Need to access Market Research or do you require details on supplies and manufacturers? This session offers impartial information and advice on starting a business.
Admission: Free
30th September – Benjamin Zephaniah @ The Library of Birmingham, 7pm
Bestselling writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah will be in conversation with Steve Camden (aka Polarbear), talking about Benjamin new book ‘Terror Kid’. 30% Hacktivism, 30% Friendship, 30% Justice, 10% Terrorism.
Tickets: £3.00
1st October - Pandora’s Box @ The Drum, 7pm
As part of the Nigerian 54 Independence Day Celebrations we bring you the unmissable, award-wining tragicomedy about a Nigerian families, love, betrayal and choices in Pandora’s Box.
Tickets: £12.50
1st – 2nd October – Tamasha: My Name Is… @ The mac, 8pm
This moving verbatim play reveals a cross-cultural love in early 80s Glasgow; telling the story behind a story that hit the headlines in 2006. When Gaby disappeared from her Scottish home, it was assumed that her Pakistani father had kidnapped her.
Tickets: £12.00 – £14.00
1st – 31st October
I Am Fabulous
Join teenage Chanice on a journey which explores the lives of Queen Nzingha of Ndongo, Nanny of the Maroons and General Tariq Ibn Ziyad of Morocco. This upbeat play offers a fresh perspective of Black history.
To book tickets, ring: 0121 783 7660 / 07849 383 705
World War 1: And The Commonwealth @ Birchfield Library
Displays showing contributions of Asian and Black Soldiers during 1st World War.
Admission: Free
Emotions of Breath Exhibition @ Handsworth Library
An exhibition of abstract contemporary photographs by mac13soul exploring emotion and whether cultural differences have an effect on our response to beauty.
2nd - 11th October – Birmingham Literature Festival @ The Library of Birmingham (and various venues)
The Birmingham Literature Festival 2014 features events, activities and performances of literature from a stellar line-up of writers, speakers and producers. Join us for events with Meera Syal, Roger McGough, Janet Suzman, Owen Jones, Sophie Hannah, Stephen May, Jackie Kay, Malorie Blackman, Steven Knight, Helen Dunmore, Sathnam Sanghera, Louise Doughty, BBC Radio Four and writers longlisted for the Man Booker prize, which will be announced shortly afterwards.
2nd – 31st October – Four Fathers @ The Library of Birmingham
Photography exhibition celebrating and documenting the lives of Birmingham’s South Asian men from great-grandfathers to sons.
3rd October – Upfront USA Special @ The Drum, 7:30pm
An international comedy special featuring three of America’s funniest performers: Wil E Robo, star of Puff Daddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy, Florida’s award winning Sean Grant and Akaash Singh, the funniest Indian comedian to come out of Dallas.
Tickets: £11.50 – £13.50
3rd – 31st October – The Danford Collection of West African Art and Artefacts, 9am – 5pm
The Danford Collection of West African Art and Artefacts celebrates the extensive cultural traditions and artistic expression of countries in West Africa.
Admission: Free
4th October – BEX Live International @ South and City College Bham & The Custard Factory, 12pm – 8pm
BEX Live is the largest business, cultural and lifestyle marketing tradeshow, celebrating 50 years of black community in business culture, creativity, entrepreneur- ship, consumer power and much more.
Admission: Free
8th October – MAIA Creatives Present: Scratch Bham @ ORT Café, 6:30pm
See the most authentic, unpolished, unperfected and untested work of the UK’s undiscovered creative featuring poets, singers, spoken word, storytelling and much more.
Admission: £4
9th October – Hollie McNish @ The Rainbow Warehouse, 7:30pm
From Skool Girl’s Careers Corner, the award winning poet – Hollie McNish will be taking to the road in October for a UK wide tour, performing in cities including Birmingham, Hove, Bath, Manchester, Leeds and finishing up with her biggest show yet at London’s Islington Assembly Hall.
Tickets: £10.00 – £11.00
10th October
Of Mice and Men @ The REP, 7:30pm
One of the classic stories of the twentieth century, Of Mice And Men tells the story of two migrant farm workers in the USA, who go in search of new pastures, in the hope of attaining their shared dream: settling down on their own piece of land.
Tickets: £7.00 – £20.00
Real Talk With Necola Hall @ The Drum, 7:30pm
The Drum is pleased to host an evening with LJ and her special guest author Necola Hall sharing her gripping triumph over adversity story I Was A Solider. Jamaica-born Necola served in the British Army for over nine years and is a veteran of the Second Gulf War. After being turned down by the Army on two previous occasions, Necola was eventually accepted into the Adjutant General Corps
Tickets: £3.00 – £4.00
11th October – Mary Seacole @ Small Heath Library, 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Birmingham Community Libraries present Mary Seacole, a 25 minute film covering the life of Mary Seacole and her contribution to Britain during the Crimean War and later. Made by local people in Handsworth Wood.
Admission: Free
13th – 25th October – Mandela 27 @ The Drum
A cultural collaboration between the European Union and South Africa inspired by the iconic story of Nelson Mandela and the globally recognized Robben Island Museum.The project involves a physical display based upon the dimensions of Nelson Mandela’s cell, housing cultural stories and works.
16th October
Hallowed Turf @ The Drum, 7:30pm
A young man’s dream of becoming a footballer is brought to the forefront when he meets his hero on a very different front line. This powerful, heartbreaking new play shares the true story of footballing star Walter Tull, the first black combat officer to serve in the British army in the First World War, told through the imagined letters of a young unknown soldier.
Tickets: £8.00
Solomon and Marion @ The REP, 7:45pm
Solomon and Marion is a powerful story about two injured souls searching for redemption in a fragile, post-apartheid South Africa.
Tickets: £12.00 – £20.00
17th – 30th October – The Big Reunion: The Boy Band Tour
For a 13 date UK tour, the show brings along the seven boy bands from both series – Five, Blue, 911, (from 2013 series) plus A1, Damage,3T and the recently formed 5th Story featuring Gareth Gates, Dane Bowers, Adam Rickitt, Kavana, Kenzie
Tickets: £27.50 – £49.50
18th October – World War 1 Story Telling Session @ Bloomsbury Library, 2pm – 3pm
Bloomsbury library will be commemorating the contribution of men and women from the Commonwealth countries to the WW1 effort. Children and adults are invited to listen to and share stories of bravery and heroism in the face of grave danger to their own lives to protect our freedom.
Admission: Free
20th - 21st October – Bird @ The REP, 8pm
A cutting edge play that throws light on the experience of a teenager in contemporary Britain, from one of the country’s most exciting new writers.
Tickets: £9.00 – £12.00
21st October – Afrovibes Festival: Skierlik, 8pm
This award-winning play revisits the horror of a racially-motivated shooting spree that devastated the remote settlement of Skierlik in 2008. Thomas moved away after his wife and three month old daughter were killed in the atrocity. But now he’s returning. We ride with him on the long dirt road back to Skierlik.
Tickets: £10.00 – £12.00
22nd October
Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze and Tracie Morris @ The Drum, 7:30pm
An evening of conversation and performance from two leading international figures, the acclaimed Jamaican poet and dub artist Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze and the acclaimed US poet and voice artist Tracie Morris, supported by Shakti Women.
Tickets: £8.00
An evening with Anthony Horowitz @ The Library of Birmingham, 8pm
An exciting evening with bestselling writer Anthony Horowitz as he introduces his brilliant new novel Moriarty.
Tickets: £5.00
22nd- 23rd October
Fall Out & Club Red @ The REP, 7pm
Two nights of inspiring, devised physical theatre exploring themes of conflict. Fall Out is presented as part of The Physical Fellowship, the UK’s only Physical Theatre Festival exclusively for young people, produced and directed by Highly Sprung.
Tickets: £2.00 – £5.00
Afrovibes Festival: Rainbow Scars @ The mac, 8pm
During the era of reconciliation, Nelson Mandela encouraged South Africans to reach out and touch each other’s lives: white middle class Ellen Robinson and her family adopted a three year old black child called Lindiwe. Now, fourteen years later, all seems well – until her older cousin seeks her out and forces her to confront her true heritage…
Tickets: £10.00 – £12.00
23rd October – Biko’s Quest @ The Drum, 7:30pm
The life, death and legacy of the inspirational anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko give us this powerful large cast production that takes the audience on a poignant and emotional journey through danced storytelling.
Tickets: £6.00 – £10.00
24th October
Black Soldiers & The First World War Past, Present, Future, 2pm – 4pm
Aimed at community groups and individuals who are involved in projects and initiatives focused on the African and Caribbean contribution to the First World War.The event will provide a platform to network, share information and explore potential areas of interest and future collaboration.
To register: Free
Mamela @ The Drum, 7:30pm
A fusion of European and African theatre, this cutting edge piece is moving personal testimony and storytelling, fused with traditional African song and dance to create a compelling narrative for the 21st century.
Tickets: £5.00 – £8.00
30th October – Valentine Joe (Meet Author Rebecca Stevens) @ The Library of Birmingham, 2pm
Valentine Joe by Rebecca Stevens. Rose and her grandfather travel to Ypres in Belgium to find the grave of her grandfather’s uncle, who died in World War One. In the cemetery Rose sees a grave which strikes a nerve: it belongs to V.J. Strudwick – Valentine Joe. He was one of the youngest boys to have died in the war. Back in the hotel, Rose starts to see some mysterious things…could that really be a soldier standing in the square outside the hotel.
Admission: Free
